Of course this isn’t directed at anyone in particular, aside from a few friends on facebook, but I want to get real here.

Can I get real?

OK, let’s get real. [real]

Dodgers signed Matt Kemp today to a 8-year/160 mil contract. They’re paying Matt Kemp what he’s worth during the years he’s worth it. It’s pretty much win-win, unless Kemp falls off a cliff at age 34.

This wonderful expenditure, as much as we all love it, pretty much precludes the Dodgers won’t be getting any major free agent this off-season. The team probably won’t be officially sold until April 1, which is pretty much opening day. Most free agents get their paychecks by early January; very few make it to February.

Additionally, the signings of Mark Ellis and Juan Rivera, both one-year deals, are basically Colletti’s way of trying to provide financial flexibility for 2012 and beyond (even if he is still overpaying Ellis and Rivera by a lot).

Woody Allen’s gotten some of his steam back and Blue Jasmine is a pretty great movie for him. It’s fun and playful and a bit tortuous. It’s got a lot of interpersonal tension between its characters that roils in a … Continue reading →

I’m a big lover of David O. Russell films. His films explore realities of characters and nobody ends up the same by the end of it. They’re thoughtful and thought-provoking and fun and crazy and engaging. He always gets the … Continue reading →

Whatever. Verdict: Oscar bait-y. Decent story that’s ruined by meta-story and melodrama. Has its moments, but is at other times plaintively manipulative. Judy Dench does have some fine bits in it, but that’s about it.

Whoa. Let me start off by saying this movie isn’t as brutal as you’d think–not in the way that you’d think. There’s only a few scenes of abject brutality and punishment and they’re over pretty quick. What sticks with you … Continue reading →

It’s Oscar baiting season, so I’d like to start off with my favorite so far. There’s a great short story by Jo Ann Beard called The Fourth State of Matter (you can read it here on the New Yorker’s site). In … Continue reading →